March is Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month and it highlights a disease that affects millions worldwide. Throughout March, individuals, healthcare professionals, and organizations join forces to raise awareness about the importance of early detection through screening and implementing preventative measures. As younger demographics face rising incidence of CRC over the next two decades, they must exercise increased vigilance and adopt preventive measures. This involves embracing healthier lifestyles and enhancing awareness of CRC and its indicators, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Selena Yu, Senior Medical Analyst, at GlobalData, comments: “The US CRC screening market has grown exponentially since 2015 due to the quick adoption of fecal DNA tests. The Cologuard test, which tests for DNA changes and blood in the stool, is the only test currently available in the US. Thus, Cologuard holds 100% of the fecal DNA test market in the US.”

The average selling price (ASP) of fecal DNA test is almost $500 compared to $4.21 for immunochemical fecal occult blood tests (FIT or iFOBT) and $0.76 for guaiac fecal occulat blood tests (gFOBT). The high ASP of fecal DNA tests pushes the test to be the market leader by a large margin as the second leader, FIT/iFOBT’s, are less expensive.

Recent studies have shown the incidence of CRC in people under 50. In the US, incident cases of CRC have increased by 22% from 2000 to 2013 while incidence rates for people over 50 declined by 32%. In 2023, the American Cancer Society saw a 20% increase in CRC diagnosis in 2019 in patients under 55, which is double the rate in 1995.

These trends are also seen in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The US Preventative Services Task Force now recommends the screening age be dropped to 45, while Ontario, Canada noted that despite increased incidence in younger populations, screening ages would not be dropped. Importantly, the dropping mortality rate in older populations is predominantly due to catching CRC in its early, and thus more treatable, stages.

Yu concludes: “Health departments globally need to reevaluate CRC screening programs as more people under the age of 50 are diagnosed with CRC. If more countries follow in the US’ footsteps and drop screening ages to 45 or younger, the CRC test market will expand to accommodate a larger test population. In 2022, CRC ranked as the third most common cancer globally in terms of incidence and the second highest in terms of mortality.

“The rising incidence of CRC in younger adults but the lack of initiative in governments to lower testing ages pushes the responsibility on the patient. Younger adults need to adopt healthier lifestyles such as exercising and eating balanced diets to prevent CRC. Moreover, learning about CRC indicators like blood in their stool and abnormal weight loss can help this at-risk population advocate for better CRC care.”